Best value: Cheap Car or Very Cheap Car?

Hi,


I need to buy a car which I then plan to sell in one or two years.

I want to buy a car for either about 7000, or for a lot less, say abotu
2.5-3K.

What is the better option for value? For which price range will the
following number be larger:

Price I can get when selling car - price I paid - any repairs needed
while driving it.

I realise there is no definite answer here, i'm just asking for
suggestions.

I guess what i'm asking is which car price range will depreciate more,
what's the chance that I will have to spend a lot on repairs for the
cheapr car, and how easy will they be to sell eventually.

For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?

Also when I sell the car I will want to do it quickly -- within a week,
how hard would this be to do for both price ranges?

Originally i planned to spend about 7G's, but have been looking on
Craigs list and finding lots of cars for 2-3k. Some with over a hundred
thousand miles, but others that are cheaper brands (daewoo, kia) with
closer to 50 thousand miles and selling for 2-3k.

I live in Houston and will use this car to drive to work along the
freeways.

Thanks for any suggestions.

If you buy a $2,000 car you will in all likelihood buy a car that has
some of it's servicable life remaining. But you will most definitely
be buying a car that will need repairs and probably a lot of ongoing
maintenance.


wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
> I need to buy a car which I then plan to sell in one or two years.
>
> I want to buy a car for either about 7000, or for a lot less, say abotu
> 2.5-3K.
>
> What is the better option for value? For which price range will the
> following number be larger:
>
> Price I can get when selling car - price I paid - any repairs needed
> while driving it.
>
> I realise there is no definite answer here, i'm just asking for
> suggestions.
>
> I guess what i'm asking is which car price range will depreciate more,
> what's the chance that I will have to spend a lot on repairs for the
> cheapr car, and how easy will they be to sell eventually.
>
> For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
> covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
> chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
> grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
>
> Also when I sell the car I will want to do it quickly -- within a week,
> how hard would this be to do for both price ranges?
>
> Originally i planned to spend about 7G's, but have been looking on
> Craigs list and finding lots of cars for 2-3k. Some with over a hundred
> thousand miles, but others that are cheaper brands (daewoo, kia) with
> closer to 50 thousand miles and selling for 2-3k.
>
> I live in Houston and will use this car to drive to work along the
> freeways.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.

wrote:
> Hi,
>
>
> I need to buy a car which I then plan to sell in one or two years.
>
> I want to buy a car for either about 7000, or for a lot less, say abotu
> 2.5-3K.
>
> What is the better option for value? For which price range will the
> following number be larger:
>
> Price I can get when selling car - price I paid - any repairs needed
> while driving it.
>
> I realise there is no definite answer here, i'm just asking for
> suggestions.
>
> I guess what i'm asking is which car price range will depreciate more,
> what's the chance that I will have to spend a lot on repairs for the
> cheapr car, and how easy will they be to sell eventually.
>
> For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
> covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
> chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
> grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
>
> Also when I sell the car I will want to do it quickly -- within a week,
> how hard would this be to do for both price ranges?
>
> Originally i planned to spend about 7G's, but have been looking on
> Craigs list and finding lots of cars for 2-3k. Some with over a hundred
> thousand miles, but others that are cheaper brands (daewoo, kia) with
> closer to 50 thousand miles and selling for 2-3k.
>
> I live in Houston and will use this car to drive to work along the
> freeways.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.

The answer to your question really depends on your mechanical ability
and willingness to do your own repairs. The best car I ever owned was
a $900 VW Scirocco.

That said I would avoid Kia and Daewoo, especially the latter. You
don't want to be stuck with a car that you can't get parts for, and the
reputation for quality is not quite there. I would not hesitate on a
late model Hyundai however.

good luck,

nate

"Scott en Aztlán" > wrote in message
...
> "N8N" > said in rec.autos.driving:
>
>>That said I would avoid Kia and Daewoo, especially the latter.
>
> How about a Daihatsu?
> --
Parts are very hard to come by for all three.
simple things, like gaskets are only available at the
dealership, and if that dealer closes, and you can't
get parts at the local auto parts store, you are
pretty well screwed.

Bernard

On 24 Jul 2006 00:00:06 -0700, wrote:


>
>For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
>covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
>chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
>grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
>

The idea that old cars are rattle-traps just waiting to fall apart is
a myth spread by the auto industry to get you to buy a new car. I've
driven junkers all my life and have had almost NO problems with them.

laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE wrote:
> On 24 Jul 2006 00:00:06 -0700, wrote:
>
>
> >
> >For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
> >covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
> >chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
> >grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
> >
>
> The idea that old cars are rattle-traps just waiting to fall apart is
> a myth spread by the auto industry to get you to buy a new car. I've
> driven junkers all my life and have had almost NO problems with them.

But do they pass state inspection? And are they properly registered?

> >For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
> >covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
> >chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
> >grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
> >
>
> The idea that old cars are rattle-traps just waiting to fall apart is
> a myth spread by the auto industry to get you to buy a new car. I've
> driven junkers all my life and have had almost NO problems with them.

Yeah, except bald tires, tire in a can, and burned out dash lights your
car is prestine.

On 24 Jul 2006 08:39:30 -0700, "morticide" > wrote:

>
>laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE wrote:
>> On 24 Jul 2006 00:00:06 -0700, wrote:
>>
>>
>> >
>> >For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
>> >covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
>> >chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
>> >grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
>> >
>>
>> The idea that old cars are rattle-traps just waiting to fall apart is
>> a myth spread by the auto industry to get you to buy a new car. I've
>> driven junkers all my life and have had almost NO problems with them.
>
>But do they pass state inspection? And are they properly registered?

Yup - i just passed my smog test a month ago.

On 24 Jul 2006 09:53:58 -0700, "Larry Bud" >
wrote:

>> >For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
>> >covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
>> >chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
>> >grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
>> >
>>
>> The idea that old cars are rattle-traps just waiting to fall apart is
>> a myth spread by the auto industry to get you to buy a new car. I've
>> driven junkers all my life and have had almost NO problems with them.
>
>Yeah, except bald tires, tire in a can, and burned out dash lights your
>car is prestine.

i've got four good tires on my car, you idiot. Cheapies, but they've
only got like 5-10K miles on them. And who cares about dash lights

laura bush - VEHICULAR HOMICIDE wrote:
> On 24 Jul 2006 09:53:58 -0700, "Larry Bud" >
> wrote:
>
> >> >For 7k I can get a certified car, so any repairs will hopefully be
> >> >covered by warranty. But if i spend only 2.5k on a car, what's the
> >> >chance that I would need to do major repairs that would cost several
> >> >grand - would it be likely that I need to repair it frequently?
> >> >
> >>
> >> The idea that old cars are rattle-traps just waiting to fall apart is
> >> a myth spread by the auto industry to get you to buy a new car. I've
> >> driven junkers all my life and have had almost NO problems with them.
> >
> >Yeah, except bald tires, tire in a can, and burned out dash lights your
> >car is prestine.
>
> i've got four good tires on my car, you idiot. Cheapies, but they've
> only got like 5-10K miles on them. And who cares about dash lights

Dash lights? How can you properly claim not to speed like your
porverbial psychopath if it's too dark to see the speedometer?